Jetton is due back in court on Jan. 21, when the judge could set a date for a preliminary hearing.

Jetton, a Republican from Marble Hill, was speaker from 2005 through 2008.

The charge stems from a November incident in Sikeston. Police reports offer conflicting statements about whether the sex was consensual. The woman claimed Jetton struck her in the face and choked her. He has denied wrongdoing.